September 2024

No introduction.

Who hasn't heard of England?

Similar but yet very different from my home country of America, I have always been fascinated by this legendary land responsible for shaping so much of earth's history. All sorts of influential people and institutions have come out of this tiny, rainy land, from Charles Darwin to Bring Me the Horizon to the Greenwich Meridian.

Somehow it took me decades to end up here. Despite countless English friends and multiple trips to Europe, it wasn't until 2024 that we made it here.

Was it everything it was cracked up to be?

Honestly, it blew away my expectations. Many English are proud yet quite critical of their homeland. I found it to be way cleaner, more organized, safe, and prettier than I imagined. Everybody we met was just fantastic. London is way nicer than American cities. There are countless rural villages to wander. The coastline seems endless in Cornwall. We were floored.

But it's expensive. We had to rent a tiny rental car and sleep in it, or illegally camp at football pitches after dark, in order to afford the prices here. Salaries are lower than the US, but prices of everything seem to be higher. I'm not sure how locals can manage the cost of living.

We came here by ferry from Guernsey. Starting in Bournemouth, we headed way out to Land's End over a week, and then inched up the coast, to Stonehenge, and on to London before flying out.

It was a fantastic experience, and an honor to visit. I'm sure I'll be back.